George Napoles, CIO at Jackson National Life Insurance Company, sets high standards for those who work in his department. All potential IT employees first must take a programmer's aptitude test that evaluates their ability to apply logic and reasoning to solve problems. Those who pass the test–and only about 20 percent of applicants do, according to Napoles–then go through an intensive interview process that includes both team and one-on-one meetings.
"We're really looking for people who do well on our test and have a history of accomplishment, whether that be in school or a previous job," Napoles says. "Very few people make it through our recruiting process. But those who do appreciate the rigorous process and have confidence knowing their peers went through the same thing. Good people like to work with good people."
Approximately 40 percent of Jackson's development staff started in an entry-level position with no previous technology experience. These new hires attend a six-month training program to learn about technology, the insurance business, and Jackson's products. For this program, Napoles prefers to hire people with strong business, rather than IT, backgrounds. Napoles himself entered the industry after earning a bachelor's degree in actuarial science from Georgia State University.
"We believe our IT people need to be business persons first and technologists second," Napoles says. "Our focus is on the business, with IT as a tool."
Based in Lansing, Mich., Jackson National Life offers variable, fixed, and equity-linked annuities and life insurance products. The company's net written premium in 2007 was $11 billion.
Napoles' high standards for his employees have been in place since he joined the company in 1995 with a mission to build its IT department from scratch–and do it quickly. At the time, all of Jackson's technology functions were outsourced to EDS.
"The good news is there were no impediments or preconceived notions to building something. This was fertile ground to apply everything you've learned and ever believed in," Napoles recalls. "The real minus is that when you walk into a place and realize you're the only IT person, it can be a daunting challenge."
But Napoles, who previously had owned his own IT consulting business and worked in IT roles at SunAmerica Financial, U.S. Life, and Pacific Fidelity Life, rose to the challenge. He built a team, implemented hardware and software applications, and began developing products.
Today, Napoles oversees a department of 440 people, which include service center employees as well as about 200 developers. "Providing quality service is top of mind for us every day," Napoles notes. "We believe we have a responsibility to find ways to make our service better all the time, not by throwing money at it but by being more innovative and creative."
To that end, Napoles and his team are redesigning the company's Web site and Web-based applications to improve customer service and enhance communication with its business partners. In addition, the IT department is implementing rules engines to improve workflow and business processes.
"The proper application of rules engines has the potential to be revolutionary to improving cost structures, enhancing efficiency, and solving complexity issues," Napoles contends.
IT also is working closely with Jackson's marketing department to support its efforts to roll out new products aimed at the retirement sector.
Napoles is a strong believer in supporting his own employees to help them succeed in their careers at Jackson. "We grant people the autonomy, authority, and responsibility they need, and then we let them do their jobs," he says.
For professionals interested in pursuing a career in IT insurance, Napoles encourages them to focus on their business skills first. "A career in IT is as rich as it ever was, but you can't view yourself as a technologist. You have to be an expert in your business and know its financial, marketing, and regulatory aspects as well as be proficient in technology," he asserts. "If you combine that with motivation and diligence, you can't help but succeed and have a rewarding career."
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